This Year's Love
by Princess Oats 435
Summary: She suddenly found herself wanting company. Not just any company, but this boy with the crazy eyebrows that liked to ramble. Sandy and Kirsten in college.
1. When you kiss me on that midnight street

This is my first fic so I hope that it's okay. It's Sandy and Kirsten when they were in college. They are my favorite couple and there aren't nearly enough fics about them. So I decided to go ahead and write one. The song is by David Gray. Please review and tell me what you think and how I did. Thanks!

Disclaimer: The characters, sadly, are not mine. It's a serious bummer.

_This year's love had better last_

_Heaven knows it's high time_

_I've been waiting on my own too long_

_But when you hold me like you do_

_It feels so right I start to forget _

_When that hurt gets thrown_

_Feeling like you can't go on_

I'm sorry.

That was what Jimmy had said to Kirsten when he called her to break up with her in the middle of the night.

"Please understand. I'm doing the noble thing here, Kirsten. I'm trying to do my best not to hurt anyone."

Right, she thought bitterly. And he was doing a hell of a job. And that's why she was sitting there with her friends, who were trying desperately to cheer her up. It wasn't working. Her mind inevitably wandered back to Jimmy, the only boy who she had really loved. The boy to whom she lost her virginity to. The boy who decided that being faithful to her while she was away at school really wasn't his thing. The boy who was going to marry the girl that he got knocked up. She sighed heavily and stood up.

"Thanks for this you guys, but I have to get back. I have a test to study for," she said. Her friend Trish frowned at her.

"Kirsten…" she started. Kirsten knew what was coming. A lecture. He's moving on, and she should to. But she didn't want to move on. She didn't want Jimmy to move on either. Of course, that just wasn't a possibility. Of course he had to move on; he had a pregnant girlfriend now. Fiancée, actually. They were going to get married before the baby was born. Apparently she was only five weeks along, plenty of time, Jimmy had said to Kirsten. Why had he shared all these details? Oh that was right, he wanted to be friends. It was just another way for him to dig the knife in deeper and twist it around.

"No, it's okay. I'm okay. I'm just going to go back and study for a little while and then get some sleep," she said again. Trish looked like she was going to argue again, but Kirsten tried her best to give her a solid smile. Kirsten didn't wait for Trish to argue anymore, she just grabbed her purse and bolted. Concentrating on getting out of there before she broke down and started crying, she ran right something solid. Someone solid.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. She was immediately met with the most intense set of eyebrows that she had ever laid eyes on. He had playful blue eyes and a great smile. A really great smile.

"It's fine," he said. "I didn't even spill my beer. So it wasn't that much of an impact otherwise it would have sloshed over the side and I would have gotten it down my pants and that would have not been good because I don't have many clean pants back at my apartment…" Sandy was well-aware that he was rambling now. It was his habit when he was nervous or flustered, especially with a girl, and especially with a girl who looked like this. She nodded and tucked a piece of blonde hair behind her ear and offered a small smile.

"Well, I'm sorry again," she said. Kirsten was desperate to get out of there now. She just wanted to go home and curl up with a book under her covers and cry.

"I'm Sandy," he introduced sticking out his hand. He knew that if he didn't at least learn this girl's name he would regret it for the rest of his life. The girl looked like she wanted to leave, and looked so sad. He wanted to know what had made her this sad and fix it for her.

"Kirsten," she offered. "I'm sorry, but I was on my way out."

"Well, then, that makes two of us," he said handing off his half-full beer to one of his friends. His friend raised an eyebrow and Sandy gestured to Kirsten and the friend nodded in understanding. "Can I share a cab with you? Or walk you home? It's not safe for a girl to be walking around alone out there." Kirsten was going to argue that she was okay getting home, but she suddenly found herself wanting company. Not just any company, but this boy with the crazy eyebrows that liked to ramble.

"Sure," she finally said. "That would be nice." He silently congratulated himself on this small victory and they started walking home. It was a gorgeous night, and Kirsten was suddenly very glad that she wasn't alone. It was really the last thing that she wanted. Actually, the second to last thing that she wanted. She hadn't really wanted to go out either. She would have preferred that one of her friends stay at home with her and rent movies and let her cry her heart out.

"So…" Sandy started. "Where are you from?"

"Newport?"

"That's in California?" Sandy asked.

"Yeah," Kirsten gave a little laugh. "It's in California. Orange County to be exact."

"Ah. I'm a New Yorker myself."

"I love New York," Kirsten said. "My father keeps an apartment there and we go every year in the fall. To see the leaves change and everything."

"I miss the seasons," Sandy admitted. "I used to love snow."

"Do you go back often?" Kirsten asked.

"No," Sandy said. "I don't." He didn't offer up anymore details, and being as perceptive as she was, she didn't push. They walked in silence for a block before Sandy spoke up again.

"Why are you going home so early?" He asked glancing at the watch that he had purchased from a street vendor in New York for four dollars before he had left. The one that said Rolexx. It was a dangerous question, this he knew, because she immediately became guarded as soon as it was asked, but then she relaxed and gave him a sad smile.

"I guess I could tell you the same things I told my friends, which was that I had to study," she shrugged.

"But the truth?"

"The truth is that my boyfriend of four years just broke up with me because he got his new girlfriend pregnant and I didn't feel like staying out any longer and pretending to be happy and having a good time, because I wasn't." It looked like he had rubbed off on her and it was her turn to ramble now. He looked at her in surprise, amazed that she had actually answered his question. She looked sheepishly at her feet. "Sorry. That just sort of came out."

"No," Sandy said. "Don't be sorry. I'm sorry. That he did that to you." Not really, Sandy thought, or else he wouldn't be walking down the street with her. Her shoulders started to heave and instinctively he reached out and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm so sorry," she wailed. "I don't even really know you and here I am crying my eyes out on your shoulder."

"Hey," he said rubbing a hand over her back. "This shoulder is here anytime for you." Kirsten finally let out a shuddering sigh and regained her composure.

"Thank you," she said softly. She pointed to the building that they had stopped in front of. "This is me."

"Okay," Sandy said smiling at her. "Can I call you sometime?" Kirsten let out a shaky smile.

"That would be nice," she consented and rummaged through her purse until she found a piece of paper and a pen. She quickly wrote down her number and handed it to him.

"Thanks Kirsten," he smiled at her and once again she was struck by the thought of what a fantastic smile he had. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she repeated and turned to go into her building. "Sandy?" He stopped and turned around.

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to come up for some coffee?" Grinning, he nodded.

"That would be great," he told her sincerely. Nodding, Kirsten repeated that sentiment.

"Great," she said softly.

_Turning circles when time again_

_It cuts like a knife_

_If you love me_

_Got to know for sure_

_Cause it takes something _

_More this time_

_Than sweet, sweet lies_

Kirsten nervously pulled back her long blonde hair. Up or down? She scrutinized herself in the mirror and finally sighed and let it fall down. This was her first official date with Sandy. He had finished his cup of coffee, they had sat and talked about everything it seemed, and just like the gentleman that he was, kissed her goodnight and left it at that. He had called her the very next day and asked her to dinner. Kirsten almost laughed at his enthusiasm.

"So dinner? You and me? Maybe a guy playing a violin? What do you think?" Sandy had asked.

"Okay," Kirsten had said.

"Okay?"

"Sure," she amended. "That would be nice."

"Great," he said and she could practically feel the grin through the phone. "How about tomorrow night? We'll go out for a nice dinner?"

"That sound great," she had told him. And now he was going to be there in less than twenty minutes and she could not decide on what to wear. It was not like she had to really impress him. He had first met her in jeans and a Berkeley sweatshirt, completely void of makeup with her eyes red and puffy from the excessive amounts of crying she had done.

Once more she pulled her hair up and then once again let it fall down. She was amazed at the effort that she was putting into her appearance. She had lived in a mail truck with her best friend Trish during the past summer, something that both her father and Jimmy had disapproved of. Then again, her father was disapproving of everything she had done lately, starting with her choosing to go to Berkeley instead of Harvard like he had so long dreamed. The idea of being all the way across the country had not sounded appealing to her, and despite the fact that she had gotten in, she had ultimately decided on Berkeley, sealing her father's disapproval. He threatened to cut her off, and when he did, it was her mother who stepped in and began to pay for Kirsten's tuition.

It was the summer that Kirsten blamed for her and Jimmy's break up. If she had gone home for the summer like he wanted instead of seeing the country from the back of a mail truck, he probably would not have so easily cheated on her. He had an excuse. Kirsten was no where to be found, in one of the Dakotas somewhere. She wasn't thinking of him obviously, so why should he think of her?

A knock on the door broke her out of her thoughts and she hurried to answer it.

"Hi," Sandy said. "You look….gorgeous." She blushed and turned to grab her purse.

"Thanks," she answered. "So where to?"

"Oh, this little restaurant in San Francisco that I know of," he said. "Don't worry; you don't have to wear flowers in your hair." She had to grin at his horrible joke as he started to hum the song.

Sandy was nothing like Jimmy. She tried desperately not to compare the two, but it was difficult not to. Sandy was….well, he made her laugh and he made her smile. He was smart and sweet and talked about saving the world. She liked that, she liked that he wanted to save the world, and the fact that he thought that he could do it. Jimmy, he was the typical trust fund kid. And that had been okay, because she had been the typical Newport Princess. She had been the lead debutante in her cotillion and had been slated to go to any number of Ivy League schools. And maybe if she had gone to Harvard, or even Stanford like her father had conceded to, she would have stayed with Jimmy and she wouldn't have met Sanford Cohen who was ready and willing to fight for the poor and powerless. She wouldn't be heading towards San Francisco for the night, and for the first time since Jimmy broke up with her days before, she realized that Jimmy breaking up with her may have been the best thing he had ever done for her.

_Before I open up my eyes and fall_

_Losing all control_

_Every dream inside my soul_

_And when you kiss me_

_On that __midnight__ street_

_Sweep me off my feet_

_Singing ain't this life so sweet_

"I'm sorry again," Sandy said glancing at Kirsten's pink dress which was now covered in spaghetti sauce. She waved her hand to dismiss it.

"Don't worry about it," she told him. "The look on your faces was priceless and worth some silly stain on a dress." When they had brought out their meals, Kirsten noticed that the waiter had forgotten to bring her salad dressing, Sandy had turned to get his attention and knocked into the waiter's arm and as if in slow motion, the plate of spaghetti went flying and landed all over Kirsten. Sandy had braced himself for her reaction, and when all she did was laugh, he knew that he had found the girl that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

"It was just that….I wanted tonight to be perfect," he said sticking his hands in his pockets as they walked back to his car.

"It was perfect," she said softly looking at him. He met her eyes and gave a small smile.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "It was." She leaned up and gave him a deep kiss. He ran a hand through her hair, and she thanked herself silently for keeping her hair down. They eventually made it to the car, and somehow made it back to her place, when they closed the door and Kirsten forgot all about Jimmy and her father's disapproval.

_This year's love had better last_

_This year's love had better last_

_Cause whose to worry_

_If our hearts get torn_

_When that hurt gets thrown_

_Don't you know this life goes on?_

_Won't you kiss me on that __midnight__ street?_

_Sweep me off my feet_

_Singing ain't this life so sweet_

_This year's love had better last_

Okay, please review and let me know what you thought. Thanks a whole bunch. There will be another chapter after this one, continuing on Sandy and Kirsten's relationship and meeting the respective parents, but only if I get some reviews! Hop to it! Thanks. __


	2. If you love me, got to know for sure

Thank you so much for the reviews! You guys are absolutely awesome! So here is the next part, and I hope that you enjoy it and could you please review again? It would mean so much. Thanks again.

Disclaimer: Right, so I don't own the characters, and whilst I come to grips with this, please read and review.

Kirsten held the invitation in her shaking hands. Jimmy's wedding invitation.

"Hey babe," Sandy came into the room and kissed the back of her neck. "What's that?"

"An invitation," she said softly. "Jimmy's wedding."

"Oh," Sandy nodded knowingly and took a seat next to her on the couch. He held out his hand and she took it, intertwining their fingers together. They had been inseparable in the two months that they had been dating. Her best friend Trish had complained that she never saw Kirsten by herself anymore.

"It's always you and Sandy," she had said. "Not that I don't like Sandy, because I do, I think he's perfect for you, but you know…I would like to get to see my best friend for some girl time." Kirsten had apologized and promised Trish that she would go out with just the girls soon.

"Okay," Trish relented. "I can only imagine what it's going to be like when you two get married. Then I'll never see you!" Kirsten had been shocked. Marriage? They had only been dating two months. Marriage was a bit premature. Of course, it was true that she loved him; she just hadn't said the words yet. And neither had he, although it had almost slipped when she had tried to be domestic one night. Kirsten had decided to try to sharpen her cooking skills, and had gotten a recipe for cookies from her mother. Unbeknownst to her and Sandy, who had volunteered to be the tester, she had accidentally put a tablespoon of salt into the mix instead a teaspoon. Sandy had taken one bite and had grimaced and tried to smile. He knew that Kirsten had tried so hard. It was when Kirsten took a bite of the cookie that she realized how terrible they tasted.

"Good God!" She cried spitting it into her napkin. "These are the devil's cookies!" Sandy had looked up in surprise. He was trying not to laugh to spare her feelings, but eventually they both looked at each other and just began to crack up. Sandy was laughing so hard that he had tears coming down his face.

"Oh Kirsten," he said. "I love…" Her head shot up in surprise, and his eyes widened with what he was about to say. "...salt, but not this much." He had tried to cover it, but both knew what he was going to say. But marriage. Marriage was still a distant thing. She wondered though if he was going to say anything at all about marriage or about their future, considering that, because of Jimmy's impending nuptials, marriage was a topic of conversation.

"When's the wedding?" He asked rubbing her back.

"Next week. Apparently they want to get it in before she begins to show," Kirsten said bitterly. Sandy ran a gentle hand down her back. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be bitter. She can have him." She leaned back into Sandy's arms and they sat there silently for a minute. "Will you come with me?"

"Of course," he answered. She nodded and bit her lip.

"It's going to be strange, seeing him get married," she said. "Everyone expected us to get married. Everyone had figured it was just a matter of time. Everyone will be there…my parents!" She sat up quickly.

"What about them?" Sandy asked confused.

"They're going to be there. You'll get to meet them!" If Sandy had had any doubts about going to this wedding, they were just doubled. Meet her father? From what he had heard, Sandy wasn't so keen on the idea of meeting Caleb Nichol. But he loved Kirsten, and Kirsten, despite all that her father had done, loved her father. If he wanted to keep her in his life, meeting her father was inevitable.

"Great?" Sandy didn't mean for his voice to crack. Kirsten gave him a reassuring smile.

"It's going to be great. They're going to love you."

Right, Sandy thought. Famous last words.

Kirsten's hand was warm and reassuring in his when they walked up to her parents' door. The house was amazing; Sandy had let out a whistle when they pulled up. He had known that she had money, but he wasn't completely aware of how much money they had. Kirsten gave him a smile and he tried to mirror that smile.

"Mom? Dad?" Kirsten called as she opened the door.

"Kirsten?" A female voice came from the back of the house and a second later, an older version of Kirsten appeared. She swept Kirsten into a hug and brushed the hair out of Kirsten's face. "Darling, you look wonderful!" Kirsten just grinned broadly and turned to face Sandy.

"Mom, this is Sandy, Sandy this is my mother Kate," she introduced.

"So this is the Sandy that I've heard so much about," Kate said. Sandy stuck out his hand, but Kate leaned in and gave him a hug instead. "She talks about you all the time." Kirsten blushed and Sandy laughed.

"All good I hope," he replied.

"Of course," Kate said winking at him.

"Kirsten! You're home!" Ten-year-old Hailey came bounding down the massive staircase and hurled herself into her older sister's arms.

"Hey kiddo!" Kirsten said giving her a hug back. "Hailey, this is Sandy. Sandy, this is my little sister Hailey." Hailey smiled shyly at him and then turned back to her sister.

"I got a new bed, want to see? And we painted the room purple now, instead of pink. I just thought that pink was too little kid. Don't you think?"

"Purple was a great choice kiddo," Kirsten assured her.

"Hailey, Kirsten just got here, lay off a little okay? Daddy's out back, why don't you go say hello to him?" Kate prompted. Kirsten nodded, and Sandy swallowed hard.

"Don't worry," Kirsten whispered to Sandy as they made their way through the massive house. "He's going to love you." But Sandy knew that was an unrealistic hope. He was pretty sure that he was just going to be another aspect of Kirsten's life that Caleb disapproved of.

"Who wouldn't?" Sandy joked, reverting, as he always did, to humor. It was his shield. So that she wouldn't know how nervous he really was.

"Daddy!" Kirsten called out when the pair reached the patio.

"Kiki!" Caleb turned around with a grin and came over to hug his daughter. Despite her choice of college and all the subsequent decisions that followed, all of which he disapproved of, he still loved his daughter. He adored her, his perfect child. It was because of this adoration that his expectations were so high, and so hard for her to reach. It was because of these expectations that made him disapprove even more of her actions, because up until college she had done everything asked of her with hardly any reservations or difficulties.

"Dad," Kirsten said pulling away. "I want you to meet someone. This is Sandy Cohen." She grinned at Sandy pulling him closer to her father. "Sandy, this is my father, Caleb Nichol."

"Nice to meet you sir," Sandy said politely sticking out his hand to shake. Unlike his wife, Caleb didn't give him a hug or even return the gesture. Instead, he looked Sandy up and down and replied in a snide manner,  
"Sandy. That's a girl's name." Kirsten's grin fell and she felt as if she was going to start to cry at any second. But Sandy just laughed, and it was then that Kirsten knew that if he proposed she would say yes, ignoring completely the fact that they had only known each other a few months.

"It's short for Sanford," Sandy explained. "And you're telling me. Try growing up in the Bronx with a name like Sandy. I was just asking to be pummeled." Caleb didn't mirror Sandy's grin.

"The Bronx?"

"Yes sir." The grip that he had on Kirsten's hand let her know that he was trying very hard to please her father. Something that just made her love him even more.

"Cohen. That's a Jewish name isn't it?" Caleb said.

"Yes sir." Sandy knew exactly what he was thinking. How did his perfect, wealthy daughter from Newport wind up with a Jewish kid from the Bronx? How had this happened? But it didn't matter to Sandy what her father thought. He loved her, and that was all that mattered. And he was pretty sure that she felt the same way about him.

"Dad, Sandy's in law school," Kirsten was trying desperately to salvage this. He hated Sandy, she could see it, and she knew that Sandy could see it too. And she had wanted them to like each other so badly.

"Oh? Just what the world needs more of," Caleb said snidely.

"Dad!" Kirsten said. She felt hot tears in her eyes and Sandy noticed them right away; he squeezed her hand to let her know that it was okay. She sighed and closed her eyes. Luckily, Kate and Hailey came out of the house providing a much needed interruption. Kirsten smiled gratefully in her mother's direction.

"Kirsten, honey, did Daddy tell you that the Coopers are coming to dinner?" Her heart skipped a beat. She wasn't ready to deal with Jimmy and his blushing bride yet. She had thought that she had another two days until she came face to face with Jimmy for the first time since he had unceremoniously dumped her for another girl.

"No," she said slowly. "He didn't." Kirsten went rigid and her smile became tight and forced.

"Oh, well, Jane and Dave are coming and so are Jimmy and Julie, that's his fiancée's name," Kate added. She saw how Sandy whispered something into her daughter's ear and saw how immediately Kirsten relaxed. She knew that her husband didn't approve, and she knew that it didn't matter. This Sandy Cohen was good for her little girl. He was a breath of fresh air in this stuffy town. While she had never disliked Jimmy Cooper, she was always had a feeling that Kirsten was with him because that was what was expected of her. When Kirsten defied her father by choosing Berkeley, Kate had never been prouder. She felt for her daughter when Jimmy got that girl knocked up, but she had to admit that she felt that it was the best thing that could have happened. She didn't want Kirsten to marry Jimmy and end up just like Jane Cooper and the other Newpsies. Kirsten had always been strong and intelligent, and had never really been like the other Newport princesses.

"I knew you wouldn't mind Kiki," Caleb said placing a hand on Kirsten's shoulders.

"Of course not," Kirsten said quietly. Her father hated her boyfriend and had insulted him several times, and her ex-boyfriend and his new fiancée would be at dinner. Could the night get any better?

The doorbell rang and Kate pulled it open and smiled at their guests.

"Come on in," she said. "Kirsten and her new boyfriend Sandy are here." Julie felt Jimmy stiffen at the mention of Kirsten's new boyfriend, and tried to ignore the pang of jealousy. She had heard all about Kirsten from both Jimmy and his parents. How wonderful Kirsten was. How intelligent Kirsten was. How Kirsten got into Harvard, Yale, and Brown before choosing to stay on the west coast to go to Berkeley. How independent she was, deciding to travel around the country the summer before. How she was going to eventually work for her father, and inherit his company. Julie would nod politely and suffer through the Jimmy and Kirsten stories. The three would laugh about how Jimmy and Kirsten met; he had been playing basketball in the gym after school (at their uber preppy and exclusive high school where Kirsten was the queen, Julie remembered bitterly) and knocked down all the streamers that her and her decorating committee had put up for the upcoming dance. She had stomped over with her hands on her hips and immediately began to berate them, insisting that they help her put all the decorations back up and wouldn't let the boys leave until everything was returned to its proper place.

"That girl had spunk," Dave Cooper would laugh. "Still does, from what I hear from Caleb."

Julie was not looking forward to meeting Kirsten anymore than Kirsten was looking forward to meeting Julie. Julie wasn't stupid; she knew that Jimmy was only marrying her because it was the "noble" thing to do. She heard the way that Jimmy talked about Kirsten. She was his first love, and she had taken permanent residence on a pedestal that Julie, no matter how hard she tried, could not knock her off of. They walked out onto the patio and Julie noticed the blonde girl right away. It was where her eyes went to first. She had seen pictures of her, but she wanted to see her in person. She was sitting next to a young man with dark hair and they were laughing about something when the Coopers and Julie stepped outside.

"Kirsten!" Jane Cooper held out her arms and Kirsten smiled and gave Jane a hug. "You look wonderful. How is school?"

"Oh it's great," Kirsten said. She was avoiding Jimmy's eyes at all costs.

"And who is this handsome young man?" Jane asked.

"This is Sandy Cohen, my boyfriend," Kirsten said finally meeting Jimmy's eyes.

"Nice to meet you," Sandy said shaking Jane's hand.

"Come here," Dave said to Kirsten pulling the young girl in for a hug. He had been highly disappointed when his son had confessed that he had gotten a girl pregnant, and it wasn't Kirsten. Julie was nothing like Kirsten. Even in looks they contrasted sharply. Julie had red hair and fiery eyes, whereas Kirsten was more classically beautiful. With her blonde hair and her blue eyes, Kirsten was elegant and delicate. Both girls were very beautiful, but Dave preferred Kirsten's quiet beauty to Julie's.

When they parted Kirsten came face to face with Jimmy.

"Hi Jimmy," she said softly.

"Hey Kirsten," he replied. "How are you?"

"I'm good," she told him honestly. "I'm really good." She turned around and smiled at Sandy who gave her a reassuring smile back.

"This is Julie," Jimmy introduced. "Jules, this is Kirsten." Julie plastered a fake smile on her face and shook Kirsten's hand.

"I've heard so much about you!" She exclaimed. Kirsten raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Funny, she thought, I didn't hear about you until it was too late. Sandy placed a calming hand on the small of her back and she was never more grateful to him than she was right then.

"Oh," was all that Kirsten came up with as a suitable reply.

"Don't worry, all good," Julie assured her.

"Come on kids, let's sit down and eat," Kate said breaking up the four and leading them to the dining room table. Julie and Sandy had something in common in the fact that all this money was overwhelming to them. He looked around the Nichol house with a mixture of awe and jealousy. Jealous that his entire New York apartment could have fit in the dining room alone.

"So this is where you grew up," he whispered to Kirsten as they sat down. "Not too shabby." She grinned at him.

"Is that Sandy-speak for nice house?"

"It is indeed," he replied. He caught Jimmy staring at Kirsten, and Jimmy quickly looked away and started to pay attention to his bride. Caleb and Dave were talking business as Kate and Jane discussed the upcoming St. Patrick's Day party that the Newpsies were going to host. Sandy wasn't the only one who was catching Jimmy's long stares in Kirsten's direction, Julie had certainly noticed. He hadn't taken his eyes off of her since they had walked out onto the back patio. Kirsten, however, was oblivious to anything Jimmy was doing.

"So," Julie spoke up. "Sandy. What are you going to school for?" Anything, anything at all to take the attention away from Kirsten.

"Law," Kirsten broke in. She smiled proudly at her boyfriend. "He's going to be a lawyer. He already has an internship at the PD's office this summer." Jimmy didn't like seeing Kirsten playing the role of proud girlfriend, at least to someone else. He reminded himself that he had done this. This was his doing. He had slept with Julie while Kirsten was away, and he was now forced into doing the noble thing. Kirsten had moved on, and what else had he expected from her? Was he really that naïve to think that she would just sit around pining away for him while he got married and had a baby?

"That's nice," Julie said cutting her food into tiny pieces like she had seen her future mother-in-law do. She now saw that Kirsten did it as well. "Jimmy's going to go into financing, like his father." That was unexpected. Jimmy had always insisted that he would never be like his father. He would not follow in his father's footsteps, and had promised Kirsten that they would never live a life like their parents lived. Apparently, with the new baby on the way, rebelling against their parents and upbringing was just not possible.

Kirsten realized that Jimmy was sacrificing what he had always wanted for Julie and the new baby. He was paying heartily for his actions. Sandy's hand found hers and he gave her a smile. She would have to thank Jimmy eventually for cheating on her and saving her from marrying him and making the biggest mistake of her life.

"I didn't like the dress," her mother announced when they returned from the wedding reception. Caleb rolled his eyes, and left the kitchen leaving his wife and daughter to discuss the superficial aspects of the evening.

"Too puffy," Kirsten agreed taking off her shoes and rubbing her sore feet.

"Definitely too puffy," Sandy said grinning at the two women. Both laughed and Kate smiled at Sandy.

"I guess you're like my husband," she said, and Sandy raised an eyebrow at a loss to find how he could be like her husband in any way. "He hates all this girl talk."

"On the contraire," Sandy said. "I enjoy discussing the color themes and the fashion choices." Kirsten laughed and Kate shook her head, leaning over to whisper in her daughter's ear.

"This one's a keeper I think." Kirsten turned to her mother and gave her a wide smile.

"Definitely," she replied. And she crossed to Sandy and wrapped her arms around him. Yes, he was definitely a keeper.

Okay, please review again and tell me what you thought. The next chapter will probably be of them meeting Sandy's mother and siblings. So review and let me know what you thought!


	3. Singing ain't this life so sweet?

Thanks so much for the reviews! Here is the next chapter, and please review again because it would make my day and you want to do that, don't you? Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters...please don't sue…all you would get is….a wrapper….um, a ticket stub….and a twenty? These must be my sister's jeans.

Kirsten set her bag down on the floor of her apartment and smiled. After the weekend at her parent's house, it was nice to be home. Sandy had gone back to his own apartment to drop off his suitcase and to shower, and then he promised he would be back over. The weekend, despite her father's obvious dislike of Sandy, had gone well. Well, better than Kirsten had expected. At least her mother had liked Sandy.

She sighed again and threw herself on the couch, which was where Sandy found her a half-hour later when he let himself in with the key that she had given to him. By this point, Kirsten was fast asleep, and Sandy didn't have the heart to wake her. He just scooped her easily in his arms and carried her into her bedroom laying her on the bed.

"Sandy?" She blinked open her eyes just as he was almost to the door.

"Hey," he said softly. "Go back to sleep." He crossed over to the bed and leaned down and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Thank you again for coming with me this weekend," she said softly. "And I'm sorry for the way that my father acted."

"Hey, it's not your fault," Sandy assured her for what seemed like the hundredth time. She felt terrible over her father's behavior, and Sandy wanted to lift some of that guilt and reassure her that he didn't blame her, and he wasn't going anywhere. She had been sure that he would run screaming from her and her overbearing, rude father, but he had been nothing but fantastic and sweet. "Besides, apologize for nothing until you've met my family. Because trust me babe, my mother could certainly give your dad a run for his money." Kirsten gave him a smile and snuggled up against him.

"Is that so?" She asked yawning. He ran a hand through her long, blonde hair and picked up her hand and began to play with her fingers.

"That's so," he replied. "You should go to sleep, you look exhausted."

"Will you stay here tonight?" She asked.

"Sure, let me just go get changed into pajamas," he said getting ready to stand and get ready for bed.

"Maybe you don't need pajamas," she whispered seductively. Sandy grinned and ran a hand down her arm.

"I thought you were tired?"

"Not that tired," she said laughing as he leaned down and kissed her mouth.

"Are you ready to go?" Sandy called through the apartment. Kirsten emerged holding a suitcase. She looked completely terrified.

"I still think there should have been a break between my family and yours," she said for what was the hundredth time. They were flying to New York to meet his mother and siblings, and Kirsten couldn't be more nervous. If Sandy had been scared to meet her father, Kirsten could guarantee that she was twice as scared to meet his mother. Sophie Cohen had called once when Kirsten had been at Sandy's, and Sandy had called for her to answer the phone.

"Hello?" Kirsten had picked up the phone.

"Who is this?" The voice on the other end demanded. "Where's Sandy?" Kirsten was immediately intimidated. She swore later that her voice shook.

"This is Kirsten, he's in the kitchen right now," she said calmly. Kirsten had no idea who she was talking to, but if she was the betting type, she would have put good money that it was his mother. "I can go get him if you would like."

"As long as it's not any inconvenience to you," Sophie sneered. Kirsten wanted to groan right there on the spot, instead she politely handed the phone to Sandy and stayed in the living room so that she could hear Sandy's side of the conversation. She really didn't have to hear Sophie's side, because she could pretty much fill in the blanks.

"Ma, that was Kirsten. I told you about Kirsten...yes I did. She goes to Berkeley too. I told you this…California….Newport…Ma! I did not. Hey! Can I get a word in? Ma, listen to me…Ma! I'm going to pretend that you didn't say that. She does not. She isn't like that…I'm hanging up…as long as I can bring Kirsten…" Bring Kirsten to what? She waited patiently for Sandy to hang up the phone and as soon as he did she berated him with questions.

"Bring me to what Sandy?" She asked.

"To see my mother and sister and brother in New York," Sandy said nonchalantly. No, Kirsten thought right away. She wouldn't go. Sophie was just going to end up hating her and why put herself through that if she didn't have to? She knew eventually she would have to meet Sophie, but she was hoping that eventually was a while away. But then again, Sandy went with her to visit her parents. He had suffered patiently through her father and his rude comments; surely she could deal with whatever his mother would offer up. How bad could it possibly be?

"That would be nice," Kirsten finally said. "I can't wait to meet them."

Now Kirsten was eating her words. She was standing in JFK airport hailing a cab next to Sandy and wishing that she were anywhere but New York. They were staying at her father's apartment, seeing as Sophie's was far too small for Sandy and Kirsten to stay at along with Sandy's brother Ethan and his sister Sarah. And besides, no one was staying in the Nichols' apartment. Kirsten and Sandy would have the entire massive space to themselves. Sandy gave her hand a squeeze and told the cab driver where to go. They stopped by Kirsten's first to drop off their things, and Sandy was once again awed by the amount of money the Nichols had. He had always wondered and envied the people who lived in these kinds of buildings on the Upper West side as a kid, and couldn't believe it when Kirsten gave a small wave to the doorman.

"Miss Nichol," he said giving a nod. She pressed the button for the elevator and Sandy wasn't surprised to see someone dressed in an old-fashioned uniform operating the elevator. The wealthy ate that stuff up.

"Miss Nichol, how are you?" The man in the elevator asked. Kirsten smiled at him.

"Great, and yourself Joe?"

"Oh hanging in there. We were all pulling for Columbia University, Miss Nichol. Hoping that you would live here while you went to school."

"It was on my list, Joe, but I just couldn't leave California," she said smiling at Sandy. Sandy was suddenly struck by the image of Kirsten living in New York and going to school there. She would have probably still been with Jimmy; in fact, he probably would have moved there with her and lived in her father's apartment. Sandy never would have met her, and would not be in this swanky building in the elevator heading towards the penthouse.

"Is this Jimmy?" Joe asked smiling at Sandy. Kirsten turned bright red. "I've heard all about you from Mr. Nichol."

"No, this is Sandy. Jimmy's married now," Kirsten explained. "Sandy goes to Berkeley too."

"Oh," Joe said. "My apologies. I'm a little behind on the news. I gave up gossiping. Although it's awful hard living in this building." He winked at Kirsten and all was forgotten. "It's very nice to meet you Sandy. You're a real lucky guy to get Miss Nichol." Kirsten blushed violently once again and was saved by the ding of the elevator having reached their floor.

"Thanks Joe," Kirsten said hurrying off.

"Nice to meet you too," Sandy said smiling at him. "And I know." He followed Kirsten. She had opened the door and they were standing in the middle of a gorgeous apartment with a park view.

"I missed this place," Kirsten said with a smile. She glanced at her watch and frowned. "We should probably hurry. Isn't your mother expecting us soon?" Sandy knew that she was nervous. Hell, he was nervous about her meeting his mother. His mother had already mentioned a dislike for Kirsten and she had never met her. According to his mother, Kirsten and her family were everything she had fought against. Everything that she had raised him to fight against.

But he loved Kirsten. He still hadn't told her that yet, but he was getting awfully close to spilling those three little words to her. And nothing his mother could do or say could make him change the way that he felt about Kirsten. He knew that she was the one. He knew that he wanted to marry Kirsten and grow old with her. Nothing Sophie Cohen or Caleb Nichol could do or say could stop the two of them from being together.

Kirsten was a mess by the time they reached his mother's apartment building. She was actually trembling. Sandy took her hand in his and squeezed it.

"She's going to love you," he told her.

"That's a lie, but thank you anyway," she responded. Sandy shrugged and placed a kiss on her temple.

"I tried." Kirsten leaned into him as they made their way inside the building. No doorman, and no marbled entrance, but it was charming. And Sandy was beaming as he pointed out the architecture design to Kirsten. She nodded, trying to convince herself not to be scared, and followed him up the steps to the third floor where his mother lived. Sandy knocked twice and they waited in silence. Kirsten tightened her grip on Sandy's hand and he gave her a reassuring smile. She felt as if she was on death row waiting for the executioner. Apparently Sophie Cohen had that effect on people.

The door swung open a young woman was standing there. She had long dark, curly hair and bright blue eyes.

"Sandy!" She screeched throwing herself into his arms. "I've missed you big brother."

"Hey Sarah," Sandy said hugging his sister. "Oh Sarah, this is Kirsten." Sarah looked at the girl standing next to her brother. She was a little older than herself, and she was visibly nervous, twisting a piece of blonde hair around her finger. Sarah had to say, her brother had done good with this one, she was gorgeous.

"Nice to meet you," Kirsten said offering Sarah a smile.

"Nice to meet you too," Sarah said smiling back. Her mother was going to hate her. She wasn't Jewish, and she was blonde and tanned, clearly a California girl. Most importantly, she wasn't Jewish. But from what her brother had told her, Sarah knew that Sandy was crazy about this girl, which meant that she had to be something special. "Come on in." A man stepped in and smiled at Sandy and Kirsten. Sandy had told her that he and Ethan, being only a year younger than Sandy, had been inseparable when they were little. Ethan had been so angry with Sandy when, at 16, he took off from New York. Sandy admitted that only recently had things gone back to being somewhat normal again between him and his brother.

"Sandy!" Ethan said hugging his brother. "This must be Kirsten." Kirsten smiled and extended her hand.

"Nice to meet you," Kirsten said smiling. Sandy took her hand again and led her through the tiny apartment to the kitchen the size of a shoebox. He cleared his throat and a woman turned around. She smiled when she saw her eldest son, but then the smile faltered when she saw the woman holding onto her son's hand.

"Hi Ma," Sandy said stepping forward, and never letting go of Kirsten's hand, giving his mother a one-armed hug. "Ma, this is Kirsten. Kirsten this is my mother."

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Cohen," Kirsten smiled politely at the older woman who managed to offer up a small smile of her own.

"You too," she said stiffly.

"Sandy, where are you staying?" Sarah asked coming from the living room into the kitchen and standing against the counter with her brother. "Ma said that you weren't staying here, and I feel terrible about you having to stay in a hotel."

"Don't worry about it," Sandy answered his sister. "We're staying at Kirsten's father's apartment."

"I thought you were from California," Ethan said frowning. "Does your father live here?" Apparently, Ethan hadn't been informed of Kirsten's financial state, or at least, her father's financial state. Being away at school himself, he had missed out on all the family gossip. Sarah hit him on the back of the head. "Sarah! What?"

"My father keeps an apartment here," Kirsten answered sweetly.

"Oh," Ethan said rubbing the back of his head still. "Where exactly?"

"The Upper West side," Sandy answered. "You should see it. It's incredible. The view from his penthouse is amazing."

"Penthouse huh?" Sophie broke in. "It must be so nice to be above everyone like that." Kirsten nearly flinched at the edge of her voice. Sandy caught the insult in his mother's tone and just tightened his hold on Kirsten's hand.

"Ma," it was Sarah who cut in this time.

"What?" Sophie feigned innocence. "That's why they buy the penthouse. So that they can look down on everyone else." Kirsten remained quiet. She knew that Sophie was trying to bait her, and she wasn't going to take it. Sandy had suffered quietly through her father and she would do the same with his mother. "So Kirsten, what is it exactly that your father does?" Everyone breathed out a silent sigh of relief. Sophie was changing the conversation.

"He owns his own real estate developing company called the Newport Group," she answered.

"Do you plan on working for him?" Sophie interrogated.

"I…I'm not sure," Kirsten finally replied. "I don't think so."

"Kirsten's going to open her own art gallery," Sandy jumped in.

"Oh, and who is going to pay for that? Her father?" Sophie asked looking at Sandy. "And who is going to provide her with the life that she is used to? You? On your public defender's salary? I really don't see that happening." Sophie wouldn't look at Kirsten. If she had, she would have seen Kirsten's head drop down and her fight back the overwhelming urge to cry. This was not going well. No, that was an understatement. This was a diasater.

"Ma," Sandy spoke through clenched teeth. "Could you please join me in the living room?" Sophie glared at him, but stormed out of the tiny kitchen. Sandy dropped a kiss on Kirsten's forehead. "Hey, Ethan, tell Kirsten about Ithaca."

"What?" Sophie asked as soon as they were alone.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"You're being rude to her," Sandy accused. "You don't even know her."

"I know her kind. She's going to want things that you can't provide for her. She'll eventually want someone who can provide her with penthouse apartments and summer houses on the beach."

"You don't know that! She's not like that, and you won't even give her a chance to prove you wrong."

"Sandy, I just want what's best for you," Sophie said.

"No you don't, because if that was true, then you would see that Kirsten is what's best for me. You want me to have what's best for you."

"Sandy…"

"I love her Ma, I love her." Kirsten, in the kitchen, could hear the whole conversation and straightened at those words. Ethan had been trying to divert both Kirsten's and Sarah's attention away from the argument in the living room, but had failed. A minute later, Sandy stormed into the small kitchen, took Kirsten's hand, flashed a quick smile in her direction to reassure her, and then announced that they were leaving.

"We'll call you two for dinner tonight," Sandy said to Sarah and Ethan before exiting the apartment with Kirsten in tow. When they were outside the door, he leaned his forehead against Kirsten's and sighed. "I'm sorry for that. I thought…I thought that she would be at least civil."

"It's okay," Kirsten said taking his hand. "It's not your fault. My father was just as rude to you." Sandy looked at her and his face broke into a small smile.

"I guess you heard everything?"

"Well, you were yelling pretty loud."

"I meant it."

"Meant what?" Kirsten played dumb, and Sandy grinned.

"That I loved you. I do. I love you Kirsten."

"Oh Sandy," she breathed leaning up to kiss him. "I love you too." And they stood there in the cramped hallway outside his mother's door and just hung onto one another. It didn't matter that her father hated him, or that his mother hated her. It just didn't matter. All that mattered was that Sandy loved her, and that was good enough for her. She had never felt this way about anyone, Jimmy included. Even with Jimmy there hadn't been this need to be around him. She literally didn't know what to do when Sandy wasn't there. He made her feel like a bad, sappy Hallmark card. He made her feel complete.

And she loved him.

Okay folks, you know the drill. Please press that little button right down there and tell me what you think of it. The next chapter will be the progression of their relationship now that they've said those three little words, and the faster that you review the faster that the next chapter gets up. So review! Thanks


	4. Heaven knows it's high time

Hi! Thanks so much for reviewing last time and please do it again this time. It makes my day. Sorry this one took a little longer, I was super busy, but today it is thunder storming and opened just the perfect opportunity to get it done. So thank Mother Nature for keeping me stuck inside. Thanks!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own a single character from the show. I know, I know, it sucks doesn't it?

Kirsten stared at the stick in her hand in disbelief. Pregnant? She couldn't be pregnant. She just couldn't. She and Sandy had only just said that they loved each other. Okay, so maybe that had been over two months before, but still, they had only been dating for five months. Five months! It wasn't like they were engaged or anything. She didn't even think that Sandy was even thinking about getting engaged.

            Maybe he was. Maybe this would be okay. She sunk down to the toilet and buried her head in her hands. She knew that she would have this baby no matter what though. She wasn't seventeen anymore and facing this decision. Things were different this time.  Her father still didn't know about her trip to the clinic in Los Angeles. Hell, neither did Jimmy. She had gone by herself and taken care of it.

            Kirsten shook her head. She couldn't think about that now. She had to worry about this pregnancy. What was Sandy going to say? She would have to break it to him soon; he had already mentioned twice that she should see a doctor about the throwing up that she had done that week. She had chosen not to mention the fact that she had nearly passed out several times either. From their five months together, Sandy had already become extremely overprotective of her. It was sweet actually, considering that she had never had that with a boyfriend. Not that Jimmy didn't care about her; it was just that he was basically oblivious to all things. Including her.

            She heard her front door open and shut and Sandy's voice call out her name.

            "Kirsten?" She wiped her eyes and stood from her perch on the toilet and walked out into the living room.

            "Hey," she forced a smile and gave him a hug. "How was your test?" He had left the safety of her apartment to take a midterm, and she had used that time to run to the drug store and take the pregnancy test.

            The positive pregnancy test.

            "It went good," he grinned at her and this time when she smiled back, it was a real smile. His grins were contagious. "I think I aced it. Thanks to my amazing study buddy." The previous night she had sat up with him into the wee hours of the morning running flash cards. They had countless cups of coffee as he tried to remember facts for his American law class.

            "That's great," she said leaning forward and kissing him.

            Sandy fingered the box that was in his pocket. The box that had been in his pocket for the past few weeks. He was going to propose to her. All he was waiting for was the perfect moment. He wanted everything to be perfect for her. She deserved it. 

            "Want to go to dinner and celebrate?" Sandy asked. Kirsten's eyes lit up and she nodded.

            "That's a great idea," she said excitedly.

            "Go get dressed," he said and she gave him one more kiss before hurrying off to her bedroom. For a few moments as she got ready, her mind was on something other than the pregnancy and how she would tell Sandy. Maybe she would do it at dinner that night.

            No, who was she kidding. She should do it in private so that he wouldn't freak out in public. Besides, what way is that to tell him that she was pregnant? Pass me the breadsticks, and by the way I'm pregnant. Not very appropriate. She pulled on a black dress and finished getting ready and found him in the living room reading a book. He had started to keep some clothes there, and while she had been in the bathroom he had changed into his only suit and only tie.

            "You ready?" He asked offering his arm to her.

            "Yes," she grabbed her purse and he helped her with her jacket and they left the apartment and headed to the little Italian place that she loved. For once she was thankful that she was still underage, because that became her excuse for not drinking the bottle of wine that Sandy had gotten. It caused him to raise his eyebrows slightly though, because that had never stopped her before.

            "Kirsten," he started. He took a deep breath and pulled the box out of his pockets. This was it. Now or never. He summoned the courage that he needed and offered her a shaky smile. "I can't tell you how many times a day I am reminded of how lucky I am to have met you that first night. I love you. You have made everything in my life ten times better. I feel a little cheesy, but you have that effect on me. You have this way of lighting up a room when you smile, and making things better just by being there, and you make me happier than I ever thought that I could be. And I want to make you that happy too. What I'm trying to say is…I brought you here tonight because….I just wanted to know…I wanted to see….Will you marry me?" Kirsten was speechless for a few moments trying to stop her head from spinning. He wanted to marry her.

            "Oh Sandy," she breathed looking the ring.

            "Is that a good 'oh Sandy', or is it a 'look-what-you've-done-now oh Sandy'?" He asked trying to read the expression on her face.

            "It's a good oh Sandy," she assured him taking his hand. "It's a very good oh Sandy." He allowed a small smile to grace his lips.

            "Does that mean that…is that a yes?"

            "It's a yes," she nodded, tears starting to roll down her face. He leaned forward and kissed her lips.

            "Oh thank God," he grinned at her. "I don't know how I would have handled you saying no." She placed a hand on his cheek. "How about some wine to celebrate?" Suddenly she was brought back to her current problem. She couldn't tell him now. She didn't want anything to ruin this moment. This perfect, perfect moment. She would tell him later. He had already raised his hand to call the waiter over and told him to bring a bottle of wine to the table. She accepted the glass and brought it to her lips, but didn't drink. She just watched Sandy happily down his glass as he held onto her hand.

            Yes, later she would drop the bombshell on him. Not now. Now she was going to live in the moment and enjoy her engagement to the best man she had ever met.

            A week later, she was forced into admitting that she was pregnant. They had been moving his things into her apartment, deciding that he was over there all the time anyway, and there was no need to keep separate apartments. Although neither told their parents this. They were having enough trouble digesting the fact that two were engaged. Her father had nearly hit the roof when he found out. Her mother, however, had gushed.

            "Oh Kirsten! Oh honey! Do you want a small ceremony or a big one? How much family does he have? Are you going to wait to get married or do you want to get married quickly?" Quickly, as quick as possible, Kirsten thought, but she just told her mother that they were thinking a small ceremony and soon. "Oh honey, you're going to look so beautiful. Oh Kirsten!"

            "You don't think we're moving too fast?" Kirsten asked.

            "Not at all," her mother assured her. "Your father and I got married after only a few months. When it's right, you know that it's right. There's no need to wait when you know that he's the one."  Kirsten wished that she was in Newport right then so that she could throw her arms around her mother and thank her for being so wonderful.

            Sandy's conversation with his own mother had gone slightly different than Kirsten's.

            "Ma, sit down. Are you sitting down?" Sophie Cohen obliged her eldest son and took a seat at the kitchen table, clutching the phone in her hand.

            "What is it?" She feared death, she feared disease. Sandy sounded so serious when he had said that he needed to talk to her.

            "I've asked Kirsten to marry me and she said yes," Sandy said. Sophie could practically hear his grin through the phone. So it was worse than death and disease. He was getting married to that girl. That spoiled, blonde girl from California. After everything she had tried to teach him and drill into his head, he ends up proposing to Malibu Barbie.

            "Oh." That was all that Sophie could force out. He wanted her to be happy for her. For them. If only she would get to know Kirsten she would see how wonderful she really was.

            "She's amazing Ma, really amazing. She's so smart and funny and wonderful," Sandy paused for a minute. "Will you please come to the wedding?"

            "Will it be there?" She asked after a beat.

            "Yes," he said. "Kirsten and her mother are already starting to plan it."

            "I just don't think I can afford to fly out there," his mother said. "Or take the time off to do it." Sandy closed his eyes and his heart broke. He felt Kirsten's small hand gently on his shoulder and he leaned back into her.

            "Not even for your son's wedding?" He asked. Sophie knew that she had hurt her son's feelings, and knew that he loved this girl no matter what she said or did.

            "I'll see what I can do," she offered and Sandy's smiled a little bit.

            "Thanks Ma," he said.

             So they were moving him into her apartment, but avoiding that conversation with their parents. Trish and Sandy's best friend Pete were there helping them move the boxes and Kirsten was avoiding heavy lifting by volunteering to start putting things away. She was in the middle of placing dishes in the cupboard when she felt a wave of dizziness pass over her. She gripped the counter, and heard Sandy's voice ask her if she was okay as she dropped the plate that she was holding and crumbled to the floor.

            Sandy caught her right before she hit and scooped her in his arms.

            "Is she okay?" Trish asked, her voice tight. Pete came in holding the last of the boxes and quizzically looked from Trish to Sandy holding Kirsten's limp body in his arms. Sandy ignored the question and carried her into the bedroom and laid her gently on the bed.

            "Kirsten?" He asked his voice full of fear and panic. "Honey? Kirsten?"

            "Should we call 911?" Pete asked coming in with Trish into the bedroom. Sandy ran a hand over her face and felt a rush of relief when she blinked open her eyes and focused on his face hovering over hers.

            "No," Sandy answered finally. "Can you get her a glass of water though?" Trish ran out the room to the kitchen and Pete followed allowing Sandy to be alone with her. "Are you okay?" He had worry clearly etched across his face and Kirsten nodded as she tried to sit up.

            "I'm fine," she assured him.

            "Easy," he said helping her into the sitting position as Trish came back with the water. He handed it to her and she sipped it gratefully.

            "I'm going to go clean up the dish," Trish said. Sandy nodded and thanked her as she slipped from the room.

            "I'm okay, really," Kirsten said.

            "I think that you should see a doctor," Sandy said. "You're still throwing up and now this, I think that something may be wrong." He frowned and shook the thought from his head. Nothing could be wrong. Not with her, it just wouldn't be fair.

            "I did see a doctor," she finally admitted.

            "You did? Are you okay?" She looked up and met his eye for the first time.

            "I'm okay," she said. "I'm pregnant." It took a minute, but Sandy's face dropped in shock.

            "Are you serious?" He asked. She nodded.

            "I wanted to tell you, I've been waiting for time to tell you, but…" She looked at him. "Please say something."

            "I'm happy?"

            "Is that a question? Because Sandy, I know that this is sudden and we've only gotten engaged and we really haven't known each other all that long and I…."

            "I'm happy," he said again, only this time more forcefully and she wanted to believe him.

            "Are you?"

            "Oh honey," he said hugging her close to him. "A baby. We're going to have a baby. We're going to be parents." Kirsten breathed out a sigh of relief and hugged him back. "Did you see a doctor yet?"

            "I did."

            "How far along are you?"

            "Eight weeks."

            "Eight weeks ago we were in New York," Sandy said doing the math in his head. She nodded slowly. She could pinpoint the exact place and time, when they had forgotten protection because they had other things on their minds. It was after he had said that he loved her and she had returned the sentiments. He leaned forward and kissed her again.

            "We should move up the ceremony so that you won't be showing," he said. Kirsten nodded, that had been her true reason for getting a move on the wedding plans. They would have to call her parents and his mother soon and tell them the news. They decided that they would wait a week and tell them that they had just found out so that there was sufficient time between the announcement of the engagement and the announcement of the pregnancy. She didn't want her father especially to think that Sandy was marrying her because of the pregnancy, or vice versus, she knew that if he thought that then he would hold it over Sandy's head. She only married you because of the situation that she was in, he would say.

            They were so wrapped up in themselves that they forgot about Pete and Trish in the next room. Trish finally knocked gently on the door and came in to find Sandy holding Kirsten on the bed, streaks of tears on both their faces.

            "Are you guys okay?" She asked.

            "We're great," Sandy said smiling and kissing the top of Kirsten's head.

            "Okay," Trish said uncertainly. "Well, Pete and I are going to take off. He's going to take me to dinner." She grinned and winked at Kirsten who laughed a little.

            "My maid of honor and your best man," she said to Sandy. "Who would have thought?" Sandy just laughed and kissed her again. He just couldn't stop smiling.

Okay, please review again! The next chapter will be their wedding, but only if you guys are still interested in it. Please review and let me know if I should keep going. Thanks!


	5. Sweep me off my feet

  Okay, here's the next part. Sorry for the wait, I had a little bit of writer's block. So I hope that this chapter is okay. Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. But oh….if I did…..

"What do you mean a monsoon?" Kate yelled into the phone. Kirsten could hear the conversation from the dining room, actually everyone could, and she cringed. Hot tears sprung to her eyes and she had to strain to hear her mother, who must have known how loud she was becoming and dropped her voice an octave. "It's your daughter's wedding Caleb." They had already rearranged the wedding twice to fit her father's schedule, and they were running out of time. Kirsten was fast approaching her fourth month, and soon would no longer fit into the dress that she and her mother had picked out. "Fine, fine. You tell her then. You explain it to her." Sandy and his family were staying with Kirsten's family, and it was two days before the wedding. They were having a get-to-know you dinner with the families. Her father, conveniently, had business to take care of in Hong Kong, but he had promised to make it to the wedding so that he could walk her down the aisle. It looked like that wasn't going to happen either. She felt Sandy's hand grasp for hers under the table.

            Her mother's footsteps were heard coming from the kitchen and everyone pretended to be engrossed in their food.

            "Kirsten, honey, your father is on the phone and would like to talk to you," she said.

            "Daddy?" Hailey piped up. "Can I talk to him?"

            "Not right now honey," Kate said running a hand over her ten-year-old's hair. Kirsten stood on shaking legs and followed her mother to the kitchen and took the phone.

            "Hello?"

            "Kiki, honey, I'm so sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to make it." She closed her eyes. She knew that her father didn't exactly approve of Sandy or their marriage, but she had never imagined that he would go as far as not coming to her wedding. She had imagined this day since she was five, and never had it crossed her mind that she might have to walk herself down the aisle.  "I can't ask you to reschedule it again. I'm sorry again. Damn Mother Nature. Go ahead, honey, have it without me. I'll see you when I get home, okay?"

            "I'll be on my honeymoon," Kirsten reminded him and then wordlessly handed the phone back to her mother. She felt Sandy's strong arms snake around her and she leaned back against him.

            "She'll get over it," Caleb told Kate. "She's going to forgive me and I'll be at the next wedding, provided she marries someone more of an equal." Kate was fuming.

            "There will be no next time," Kate hissed as she turned away from her daughter. "She loves him. And you are an ass. And she's not going to forgive you. Not at least any time soon. And neither will I." With that, Kate hung up the phone and wrapped her arms around Kirsten. Kirsten's wall began to crumble and she began to openly sob into her mother's arms. Even Sandy's mother had come. Against her principles, she and his brother and sister had flown from New York to be there for the nuptials.

            The Cohens were staying with the Nichols for the week before the wedding. Kirsten had gone to the airport with Sandy to pick them up, and his excitement was palpable.  His mother had surprised both of them when she had agreed to come to California with his brother and sister. Sophie scowled as soon as she exited the gate, but Sandy would not let anything damper his mood. He was getting married in six days to the most perfect person on the earth and his mother had actually sucked it up and boarded the plane to see it. He was sure that she would make up an excuse at the last minute and not come out.

            Just like Caleb had done.

            But she showed up. Kirsten warmly greeted his brother and sister, but she was nervous around Sophie, and with good reason.

            "Hi Mrs. Cohen," Kirsten said offering a shaky smile to the woman who was going to be her mother-in-law.

            "Hello Kirsten," Sophie said. She had made a promise to herself and her daughter that she would be good while they were in California. And she was stubborn enough to fulfill that promise.

            "So how big exactly is your house?" Ethan asked Kirsten as they traveled out to the car that Kate had hired to take them from the airport to the house. "Is this for us?" He had never been in a limo before, and he scrambled excitedly into the backseat.

            "Oh wow," Sarah breathed as she handed her bag to the chauffeur and climbed in after her brother. Sophie thought that the limo was just another way to parade around the Nichol's wealth, but she bit her lip and climbed in after her children. Sandy gave Kirsten's hand a squeeze as he got in and Kirsten took a deep breath before getting in herself.

            When they pulled up to the house, all three of their mouths dropped open.

            "Oh my God," Ethan said. "This place has its own zip code."  Kirsten managed a small laugh at that, as they climbed out. Kate came to the door and came out to greet their guests.

            "Hi," Kate said extending her hand to Sophie. "You must be Sandy's mother. He's a wonderful boy." Sandy blushed and Sophie reluctantly returned the handshake. "I'm Kate Nichol. It's so good to have you here." Sophie tried to summon a smile, but couldn't. Instead she just briskly nodded. Kate introduced herself to Sarah and Ethan before wrapping an arm around Kirsten and leading the rest inside. Sophie noticed that Kirsten looked identical to her mother, and sighed inwardly. Californians, she thought to herself. And he had to pick a blonde haired, blue eyed girl who was the complete antithesis of him and the rest of his family? Or maybe that was the point, Sophie wasn't sure. But she followed her children inside the house.

            "We'll take you up to your rooms so that you can get settled," Kate said. They mounted the impressive curving staircase to the second floor. "My husband is actually on a business trip to Hong Kong, but he'll be back on Thursday." Sophie nodded as Sarah and Ethan barely listened, more interested in all that the Nichol house had to offer.

            Now it seemed that Caleb was a liar, and would not be back on Thursday, or Saturday for that matter. He wasn't coming back. At least not for Kirsten's wedding. Sophie, Sarah, Ethan, and Hailey continued to eat in the dining room pretending that they couldn't hear what was going on in the kitchen. Pretending they couldn't hear Kirsten's heartbreaking sobs as her mother and Sandy tried to console her to the best of their abilities.

            "It's going to be all right," Kate said hugging her close. "I'll walk you down the aisle."  Kirsten wiped away the last remaining tears and steeled herself. She shook her head.

            "No, that's okay Mom. You just focus on your mother-of-the-bride duties. I will walk myself down the aisle. Screw him." Sandy studied his bride's face.

            "Are you okay?" He asked. She offered him a shaky smile.

            "Yes. I'm fine." She was lying, to both him and herself, but he let it go and squeezed her hand and they went back into the dining room to finish eating with the Cohens.

            Sandy anxiously waited at the end of the alter. Not that he was getting cold feet, exactly the opposite; he couldn't wait for Kirsten to come down the aisle. The music was cued and he felt his heart begin to race. She was about to come down the aisle and become his. Forever.

            She was breathtakingly beautiful in her white dress. His breath caught in his throat when he saw her.  She beamed when she saw him, and proudly walked herself down the aisle. Her blonde hair was swept back elegantly off of her face. Kirsten had never been too keen on the fashions that her friends had fallen victim to. The big hair, the big shoulder pads, she had thankfully managed to steer clear all those hideous fashions for the most part. When she reached Sandy at the end, he outstretched his hand and she clasped it tightly in hers and they stood in front of more than a hundred witnesses, but to Kirsten and Sandy, no one existed but each other at that moment. Kirsten was crying by the time she reached the end of her vows, and she was surprised to see that Sandy had a few glistening tears snaking their way down his face. She simply smiled at him and slipped the ring that Trish had handed to her onto his finger.

            "With this ring, I thee wed," she spoke firmly and clearly. Sandy turned and a grinning Pete handed him her ring, which he slipped onto her slender finger. He repeated the same words and barely registered the rest of the words spoken until he heard the famous words,

            "You may kiss your bride." He swept her into his arms and dipped her back and kissed her.

            "I love you," he whispered into her ear. "More than anything in this world." She grinned at him and kissed him back.

            "I love you too," she whispered.

            They announced them as Mr. and Mrs. Sanford Cohen and Kirsten and Sandy burst into the reception grinning wildly and gripping hands. They danced their first dance to "Tupelo Honey" by Van Morrison, and Kirsten shoved cake all over Sandy's face. There was, of course, no father-daughter dance, and Kirsten mentioned it as they swayed back and forth in each other's arms.

            "This is when I should be dancing with him," she whispered. Sandy ran a hand over her back and kissed her cheek.     

            "Honey, he'll regret this. He'll regret not being here for this. Not seeing you in your wedding gown. You look so beautiful. Have I told you that yet?"

            "About a million times," Kirsten replied grinning.

            "Well, how about a million more? How about I say it every single day for the next seventy years?" Kirsten pretended to think about it.        

            "Well, that can be arranged," she told him. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jimmy sitting with his seven-month-pregnant wife, and she realized that her child and Jimmy's child would only be a few months apart. Jimmy was watching her and Sandy dance, and Julie was sitting with a mixture of boredom and jealously playing on her features.

            How thankful she was to Jimmy for sleeping with her. Had it really only been six months ago that she had gone to that bar in hopes of drowning away her sorrows and ended up walking out with the best thing that ever happened to her? And now, she was married with a baby on the way. It was incredible, really, the way that things turned out

            Kirsten was talking to Trish when she felt a tap on her shoulder.      "Would you like to dance?" Jimmy asked offering out his hand.  Kirsten turned and found Sandy talking to his Uncle David.  She pointed to Jimmy and shrugged. He offered her a smile and nodded. She turned back around to face Jimmy.

            "Sure," she said and let him lead her onto the dance floor.

            "Congratulations," Jimmy said. "On both the wedding and the baby."

            "Mom told you?"

            "Yeah. Hey our kids will be in the same grade and everything," Jimmy said smiling.

            "We probably won't live here," Kirsten said.

            "Oh," Jimmy's smile faltered a bit. "You look beautiful." Somehow it didn't feel the same coming from Jimmy as it had when Sandy had told her it the first time breathlessly.

            "Thank you," she answered.         

            "I always that that I would be the one at the end of the aisle when you wore a wedding dress," Jimmy admitted.

            "Me too," Kirsten told him softly.

            "Do you love him? I mean, do you love him like you loved me?" Kirsten was surprised, and answered him truthfully.

            "I love him more," she said. Jimmy's face was crestfallen.

            "Oh," was all that he said. "Because…I don't love Julie like that. Like I love you. I just wanted you to know that…I miss you." Kirsten turned her head slightly and locked eyes with Sandy. He gave her another smile and she returned it.

            "Well, Jimmy. I've been meaning to tell you this for awhile. Thank you. For sleeping with her. For getting her pregnant. It was the best thing that's ever happened to me."

            "It was the biggest mistake of my life," Jimmy replied. Kirsten didn't know how to answer that, and so she didn't. Instead, the song ended and she walked back to her new husband. Jimmy watched as she walked away in her white dress. He watched as she leaned up and kissed Sandy again and watched as they made their way onto the dance floor once again. He watched as Sandy's hand rested where his had just seconds before, on the small of her back, and watched as she crinkled her nose and laughed at something Sandy had said.

            She was happy.

            She was in love.

            And it wasn't with him.

I was considering another chapter, where Seth is born and the early years in Berkeley, but let me know if you want another chapter or if you're getting bored! Please review! Thanks!


	6. And when you hold me like you do

Hello all! I know this took a long time I was on vacation, but it's a long chapter, so you can forgive me. Right? So if you can find it in your heart to forgive me, please leave me a review. It would be awesome. Thanks!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. However, after a week on the beach I own two seashells, a box of salt water taffy, and a very bad sunburn.   
  
Kirsten Cohen was not a happy camper.   
  
Not only was she over eight months pregnant, but her new husband had gone out to drink with his buddies to celebrate the end of the semester. Sure, she had given him permission to go, but she didn't expect him to stay out this long. Okay, so he was almost done with law school and this would really be his last chance to go out with his friends and party before the baby was born. But she didn't get to party. She was stuck back at the apartment unable to pretty much complete the most simple of tasks, including moving. She had expected Sandy to realize that she was feeling fat and miserable and to recognize that she needed him to stay home with her that night and rub her feet and run and get her egg rolls and General Tso's chicken.   
  
She was really craving General Tso's chicken right now. But the phone was all the way over on the other side of the room and she was in no position to get up and get it. Also the movie she had been watching had ended about ten minutes before, and she didn't really want to watch the news which had come on, but the remote was somewhere underneath the couch. She had dropped it while reaching for her popcorn and couldn't exactly bend down easily to pick it up.   
  
"Sandy," she whined out loud to no one. "Where the hell are you? I want my chicken and I want my remote. Ugh." She turned and looked down at her protruding stomach. "I don't want to sound rude or inhospitable, but it's time for you to get the hell out kid." The message went largely ignored and she moaned again and closed her eyes and tried to sleep. Sleep was a very welcomed and very rare commodity recently. Kirsten was sore and heavily pregnant and could never get comfortable enough to sleep. Sandy, bless his little heart, had taken to staying up with her and rubbing her back, but he had classes in the morning, and she couldn't expect him to stay up with her every night.   
  
Kirsten sighed and shifted her weight a bit to try to fall asleep. She cringed in pain and managed to pull herself up placing a hand on her stomach.   
  
Was that a contraction?   
  
No. It was too early. She wasn't due for another three weeks. Sandy was supposed to be here, not stumbling in drunk while she was in labor. Not tonight.   
  
"Not tonight," she whispered to her stomach. "I know I just told you to get out, but please, I was kidding. It's not time for you to come out yet. Wait until your daddy is home with me. Okay?" And she thought that the baby had listened, until she felt another contraction.   
  
"Oh God," she moaned. "You don't listen at all!" This obvious inability to listen to his or her mother was obviously something that they would have to work on in the future. She managed to get her legs over the side of the couch and very slowly, and very shakily, climbed to her feet.   
  
Where was the phone? She would call her mother. Even though her mother was hours away, she would get on a plane and be there as soon as she could. And she would know what to do. Yes, Kirsten decided, calling her mother was the best course of action.   
  
Why again, had she let Sandy go out that night? That decision was plaguing her right then. Stupid, she said to herself, stupid, stupid. She reached the phone and winced again as she dialed her parent's number.   
  
"Hello?" It was her father that picked up. Kirsten still wasn't really talking to him, but at the sound of his voice she wanted to cry. She didn't want to be six hours away by herself when she went into premature labor. She wanted her husband there. She wanted her parents there with her. Actually, she would settle for anyone by this point. She just didn't want to be alone.   
  
"Daddy? Can you please put Mommy on the phone?"   
  
"Kiki?"  
  
"Dad. Mom. Phone. Now. Please." Her father got the point and went off in search of her mother.   
  
"Kirsten honey? What's the matter?"  
  
"I'm having the baby," Kirsten wailed into the phone. "And Sandy went out for a few drinks with his friends to celebrate the end of the semester, and I'm alone, and it's too soon, and I'm scared, and the damn kid won't listen!" Kirsten was near hysterics now.   
  
"Okay, baby, slow down, okay? Take deep breaths. I'll call and get on the first flight out, okay? Now, Sandy will be home soon, and honey, I know that you're scared, but it's going to be okay. It's only three weeks early. It's going to be fine. Meanwhile, why don't you call Trish to come sit with you?" Her mother was using her most soothing voice and Kirsten did calm down a little bit.   
  
"Okay," she said sniffing. She hung up and dialed Trish's number. Trish, thank God, had a final the next day and was home studying. She answered on the third ring.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Trish?"  
  
"Kirsten?"  
  
"I'm having the baby."  
  
"Oh my God! Are you at the hospital? Where's Sandy? Isn't it early?"   
  
"Sandy went out for the night."  
  
"I'm on my way. I'll be there in five minutes. Just...don't have that baby until we get you to the hospital all right?"   
  
"I'm trying my damndest here Trish," Kirsten assured her. She hung up and looked at the clock. She just wanted Sandy. She wanted Sandy to be there with her. The shrill ring of the phone startled her and she picked it up.   
  
"Sandy?"  
  
"No honey, it's Mom. Did you call Trish?"  
  
"She's on her way over."  
  
"Good, I'm on the 11:20 flight. I'm leaving for the airport now. I'll meet you at the hospital, okay?"  
  
"Okay," Kirsten said as another contraction hit her. "Hurry."  
  
"I'm coming as fast as I can," her mother promised. Kirsten heard the front door open and she breathed a sigh of relief. Sandy was home. It felt like a huge weight was now lifted off her shoulder.   
  
"Kirsten?" Damn. No Sandy. It was just Trish. "I ran like five red lights to get over here. Are you ready to go to the hospital?" Kirsten began to cry at this question and Trish rushed to her. "What's the matter? Are you okay?"  
  
"No! I want my husband dammit! It's not supposed to happen like this!" Trish gave her an awkward hug and ran a hand over Kirsten's hair.   
  
"I know honey, but let's get to the hospital okay?" Trish coaxed her out of the door and into her car and they sped to the hospital, forgetting completely that Sandy would have no idea where they were when he finally got home.   
  
Sandy walked in the door a half hour later. He had called the night short wanting nothing more than to get home to his pregnant wife. He had felt bad about leaving her in the first place, but Kirsten had insisted, and he had known that there was no arguing with her when she had her mind made up about something.   
  
"You need to go out and have fun. You won't get to do it again for awhile once the baby is born. Now is your time. I'll be fine here. I was just planning on trying to get some sleep anyway. It will be fine. Go. Have fun." He had listened to her, secretly grateful for her pushing him out of the door. It didn't mean that he didn't feel guilty that she was home by herself as he was having fun out with his friends. He had only one drink and had nursed it all night as his friends celebrated the end of the semester. He had excused himself as soon as he could and hurried back to the house that he shared with his wife of four months. They had just moved in three weeks prior, and while it wasn't a mansion like she was used to, it was charming and enough for the two of them.   
  
Okay, so charming wasn't exactly the word choice that he would necessarily use. It was definitely not the word that Kirsten had used when the hormones raged and she let him know her true feelings about the place. She had calmed down and admitted that it was fine. A fixer-upper, she had told him smiling. He smiled to himself as he turned the key in the door. Trying to be quiet and not wake her, he slipped into the living room expecting to see her asleep on the couch. There was the blanket, and the remote was lying innocently on the floor, and an empty bowl of popcorn was lying on the coffee table, but there was no Kirsten. He turned around in confusion. The television was on.   
  
"Kirsten?" He called. Maybe she was in the bathroom. He moved towards the bathroom and found that the bathroom on the first floor was empty. Okay, he was squelching the panic that was rising inside of him and started up the stairs. She was probably in their bedroom. He checked the upstairs bathroom, and it too was empty. And when he opened the door and peered into their bedroom, his heart sank to find that Kirsten wasn't curled up in the bed. So where was she then?  
  
"Kirsten?" This time his voice was a little louder and a little more concerned. "Honey? Are you here?" He hurried back down the stairs and checked the kitchen. No. She had been there at some point that night, the fridge and cupboards had been raided, and the pickles, for which she had developed a strong craving for, were all gone. He ran a hand through his hair and willed himself not to panic. It was possible that she could have gone out to get something to eat or something.   
  
Then again, this was the woman who had vowed not to leave the couch for the next three weeks unless she had to go to the bathroom or to go to bed. Okay. He would call Trish. Maybe she had gone to Trish's to watch a movie or something. He found the number in Kirsten's incredibly organized and neat phone book. He cursed when Trish's perky voice came on telling him,  
  
"A is for academics, B is for beer, one of these two things is why I'm not here." Don't panic Sandy, he willed himself. Maybe she went to the hospital. Of course, that set him in full panic mode. But he calmed himself down and He picked up the phone. He needed to call hospitals. That would make him feel like he was in control. He was in control. Sandy repeated to himself. Kirsten is fine. The baby is fine. Everything is fine. There is a perfectly good explanation for why she's not here. The phone rang as he was holding it in his hands and he jumped.   
  
"Kirsten?"  
  
"Sandy! Thank God you're home!" Trish was on the other end at the hospital holding Kirsten's hand.   
  
"Trish? Where's Kirsten?"  
  
"We're at the hospital," Trish told him. His heart stopped.   
  
"Is she okay? Is the baby okay?"  
  
"She went into labor," Trish told him. "They can't stop it, because she's already too far along, but they said it will be fine. A little premature, but they should both be fine."  
  
"Oh God Trish. Can I talk to her?"  
  
"She wants to know if you're drunk. She said that if you are drunk then she doesn't want to talk to you, and to tell you to go to bed because her mother will be here soon and she only wants to see you when you are sober." Sandy had to laugh, it was so like Kirsten.   
  
"I'm sober, can you put her on the phone?"  
  
"Sandy?" His wife's voice sounded terrified and he wished that he was there with her. Why had he gone out that night?  
  
"I'm on my way honey, okay? Don't worry, I'm on my way."  
  
"Okay. Hurry, please Sandy."   
  
"As fast as I can babe, I promise." He hung up and grabbed his keys and coat and ran out of the house.   
  
"Kirsten Cohen? Where is she?" Sandy asked the receptionist as soon as he arrived.  
  
"Let me look her up," the receptionist said. Sandy tapped his fingers impatiently on the counter.  
  
"Could you hurry?" She ignored him.  
  
"Room 230."  
  
"Thanks," Sandy said running back towards the room. Trish came out into the hallway as he skidded to a stop.  
  
"Oh good! You're here! I have to go finish studying. I'm just going to run home and get my books and I'll be in the waiting room."  
  
"Is she doing okay?"  
  
"Yeah, she's okay. A little scared, but then again, if something was about to be pushed out of me I'd be scared too," Trish shrugged.   
  
"Thanks Trish," Sandy said. "Great visual."  
  
"Well, prepare yourself. I've heard it's not a pretty sight," with that she left him alone in the hallway as she left to grab her stuff to study.  
  
Kirsten was lying in the bed; her hair was limp and was sticking to her sweaty forehead. Her eyes were closed, but he knew her well enough to know that she wasn't asleep.  
  
"Kirsten?" He said softly as he shut the door behind him.  
  
"Sandy," she smiled wanly when she saw him. "You made it!" He crossed the small distance to her bed and reached out for her hand.   
  
"I would have been here sooner, I'm so sorry," he dropped a kiss on her forehead, and Kirsten just smiled at him.  
  
"You're here now. That's all that matters."   
  
Kate Nichol was pacing the waiting room and making Trish dizzy.   
  
"Mrs. Nichol? Could you stand still?" Trish finally asked looking up from her homework. "You're making me a little nauseous."  
  
"Oh," Kate dropped down into the seat and began to play with her rings. "It's just...I wish it was over, you know? She's in so much pain." Kate had sat with Kirsten while Sandy had run back to their house to get some things that Kirsten and Trish had forgotten in their hasty exit from the house. She had cringed every time a contraction hit her daughter. Kate had busied herself with ice chips and fluffing Kirsten's pillow to make sure that she was comfortable.   
  
Now that Sandy was back in there, holding her hand, Kate was relegated to the waiting room to sit with Trish and Sandy's friend Pete, who was fast asleep in a chair. If there was one thing that Kate Nichol hated, it was waiting.   
  
Sandy appeared in the doorway to the waiting room, and Kate jumped out of her seat and Trish glanced up.  
  
"Am I a grandmother?" Kate asked. Sandy shook his head.  
  
"Not yet," he said. "The umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's arm. They have to do a c-section. They're prepping her right now." Kate nodded trying to stay in control of her emotions. It wasn't like this was some rare procedure; the doctors did this every day. Both Kirsten and the baby would be fine. Doctors had been doing this for hundreds of years. But it was hard to stay calm when it came to her daughter. Things could go wrong. She shook the thoughts out of her head.  
  
"Tell her I love her?" Kate asked Sandy. Sandy nodded and ran a hand through his hair as his mother-in-law wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "They're going to be fine. Both of them." Sandy didn't answer right away. When he finally pulled away from Kate, he just gave her a shaky smile.  
  
"I'll let you know as soon as she has the baby." With that, he hurried back to his wife. He was scared, but one look at Kirsten's terrified face made him push back his fears and comfort her. He ran a hand over her blonde hair and smiled at her. A confident smile this time. Not like the smile that he had flashed Kate in the waiting room.   
  
"You won't leave my side, right?" Kirsten asked her voice trembling slightly.   
  
"They would have to pull me kicking and screaming away," he assured her. And he kept his promise. He held her hand throughout the whole thing, only letting go when he heard the scream of a baby and the doctor announced that it was a boy.  
  
"A boy," Sandy couldn't keep the grin off of his face. "We have a baby boy, Kirsten!" The doctor placed the baby in his arms and Sandy felt warm tears snaking their way down his face. "Oh Kirsten. He's so beautiful." He leaned down to show her and a wide smile took over her exhausted face.  
  
"He's so tiny. He's okay?"   
  
"He's perfect," the doctor assured her. "Just a little on the small side."   
  
"Perfect," Kirsten repeated.   
  
Sandy burst into the waiting room, all smiles this time.   
  
"A boy!" He announced. Trish shook Pete who woke up with a start.  
  
"She have it yet?" He asked.  
  
"A boy!" Kate said excitedly. "How's Kirsten?"  
  
"She's okay. They're cleaning her up. She's exhausted, but fine. She was amazing," Sandy said. He couldn't keep the smiles off of his face. "I'm going to go get back to her. I just wanted to let you know."  
  
"Can we see him?" Trish asked.   
  
"They're bringing him to the nursery," Sandy told them. "Baby Boy Cohen."  
  
"No name?" Pete asked. "Then may I suggest Peter?"  
  
"You can, it's not going to happen," Sandy told him laughing. He left the waiting room to hurry back to Kirsten as the others went to the nursery window and peered through the windows to catch a glimpse of the baby.   
  
"He needs a name," Kirsten said as she held him in her arms. She ran a hand over his tiny head and smiled. "He can't be Baby Boy Cohen forever."   
  
"You're right," Sandy told her kissing the top of her head. "He does need a name." They had been arguing over names for the past few weeks and finally settled on Emily if it was a girl and it was a toss-up between Seth and David if it was a boy.   
  
"I like Seth," Kirsten said. "Seth Cohen. It has a nice ring doesn't it?" Sandy smiled.   
  
"It does indeed," he told her. "No David?"  
  
"It's too common," she explained. "And he's not going to be common. He's going to be extraordinary. He's going to cure cancer, or rid the world of hunger." Sandy laughed.   
  
"That's a lot of pressure to place on a kid who is only a few hours old," he told her.   
  
"Oh be quiet," Kirsten said. "He is. He's going to be spectacular, I can tell." Sandy just kissed the top of her head again.   
  
"Middle name?" Sandy asked. "David?"  
  
"No. Peter. Seth Peter Cohen. It will make Pete happy and he's done so much for us." Pete had secured them the loan for the house, and helped Sandy pay for a honeymoon for Kirsten after she had refused to take money from her family.   
  
"Seth Peter Cohen it is." Sandy took Seth in his arms and dropped a kiss on his forehead. "Kirsten, I think you may be right. He will be spectacular, just like his mother. He's going to cure diseases and bring peace and end starvation. He's going to be the president, or a diplomat or some other important job. Or maybe he's just going to have a big heart like his mom, and be just as smart as her, and whatever he does, I'm going to love him. Just like I love you." He turned to look at his wife, but she was fast asleep in her bed. "Kiddo, I hope that you know you wore your poor mother out today. I have a feeling you'll give us a run for our money and make life very interesting." Sandy grinned at the baby. "I sure hope so anyway."   
  
Sandy sat on the bed and placed an arm around Kirsten and closed his eyes as he held Seth tightly to him.   
  
That seems like as good of a place to stop as any. Please leave me reviews telling me what you think. I'm thinking one more chapter, but let me know. Thanks! 


	7. Feels so right

Okay, here's the next chapter. Please leave me a review and tell me what you think! Thanks! Oh, and how about tomorrow is my last day of my internship for the summer! Yay! That means two weeks of sleep before I have to go back to school. This is very exciting! Anyway, make me double super happy and leave me a review!

Disclaimer: The characters on the show aren't mine. Please don't sue me, I'm a poor college kid.

The baby's screams woke Kirsten up and she groaned.

"I'll get him," Sandy offered without opening his eyes.

"Unless you've figured out some way to breast feed him, I have to go," Kirsten replied throwing her legs over the side of the bed and pulling on her robe as she made her way to Seth's crib at the corner of their bedroom. She picked up the wailing baby and settled in the rocking chair. Sandy sat up and looked over to where his wife was holding their son in her arms as he ate. Her eyes were closed, but her tight hold on the baby didn't waver. He watched her finish feeding Seth and stand tiredly to place him back in the crib.

Kirsten sank into the bed next to Sandy and he wrapped his arms around her. Sandy placed a kiss on her temple.

"I'll get him next time," Sandy promised. Kirsten managed a nod as she rested her head in the crook of his arm and fell immediately back to sleep. Sandy watched her sleep for a little longer.

How had he gotten so lucky? Having Seth just made him all the more baffled by his father. How could he have left Sandy and his siblings? Sandy couldn't imagine leaving either Kirsten or Seth. He would kill for his son. He would die for his wife. He would do anything to protect them. Placing another gentle kiss on Kirsten's forehead, he gingerly untangled himself from her and without waking her up (although Sandy was fairly sure by this point a train could come through the house and Kirsten wouldn't budge) managed to slip out of bed. He crossed the short distance to the crib and found Seth's eyes wide open taking in his surroundings. Sandy smiled and reached in and scooped him up.

"Hey buddy," he said softly. "Let's let Mommy sleep okay? You're wearing her out." He sat down in the rocking chair. "I love you so much Seth. I will never leave you." He kissed the top of Seth's head and rocked him gently. Eventually the rocking put Seth to sleep, and Sandy realized that he'd better get to bed if he wanted to get any sleep that night. Classes had started again and he had one the next morning at ten. He stood up and placed the baby back in the crib and slipped back into bed next to Kirsten.

"I love you too," he whispered as he kissed the back of her head. "I'll never leave you either." He wrapped his arms around her and she instinctively snuggled back against him.

Sandy dragged himself home from his last class. He couldn't wait to get home to Seth and Kirsten.

"Kirsten?"

"Sandy, we're in the kitchen," she called out. He made his way back to the kitchen and found his wife and his son sitting at the kitchen table. Or rather, Kirsten was sitting at the table, and Seth was seated in his carrier, a gift from her parents, right in front of her. Kirsten was playing peek-a-boo and Seth was giggling with delight.

"He's laughing!" Sandy exclaimed.

"I know!" Kirsten replied excitedly. She laughed herself, and picked Seth up and went over to Sandy leaning in to give him a kiss. Sandy returned the kiss and took Seth from her arms. "How was class today?"

"Pretty boring. Fifth amendment stuff. How was your day?'

"Oh, this was pretty much the most exciting thing that happened all day," she replied shrugging. "We went grocery shopping. Oh, and you got a phone call."

"From who?"

"Some guy," Kirsten frowned slightly. "He left his name and number but didn't say who he was."

"What was his name?"

"David," Kirsten said walking over to the kitchen counter where she had hastily written the name and number. "He didn't leave a last name." She handed him the paper. David. It couldn't be? How would he have found him? His mother? He doubted Sophie would have told him where to find Sandy and Kirsten. He looked again at the paper. David.

"It's Cohen," Sandy said softly.

"What?" Kirsten asked taking Seth back into her arms.

"His last name. It's Cohen." Kirsten placed Seth back into his seat and gave him a teething ring to chew on. She turned back around with a confused look on her face.

"Is he related to you?"

"He's my father," Sandy whispered.

Sandy held the piece of paper in his hands. He had been sitting by the phone clutching this piece of paper since Kirsten had told him about the phone call an hour ago.

He didn't want to call him. He didn't have anything to say to the man. And yet...he did. He wanted to ask how he could have left them. How could he just pick up and leave his wife and three young children in the middle of the night? Sandy felt a hand on his shoulder and didn't need to turn around to know that it was Kirsten.

"Honey, are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sandy answered.

"Dinner's ready," she leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Its spaghetti, and Trish made it and froze it for us. All I did was unthaw it, I swear." Sandy couldn't help but smile at that. Kirsten tried so hard, but always managed to screw up whatever it was that she was making.

"I don't understand," she would say with her hands on her hips as she studied the latest dish she had messed up. "Why is it so dry? I did that thing where you pour dressing over top of it and let it soak."

"Marinate?" Sandy offered and she would point at him.

"That's it. I did that. Why is it so dry then?"

"How long did you leave it in for?" And her eyes would light up in realization and she would scrape the dry chicken into the garbage can declaring that she would never try to cook again and that would be Sandy's department.

"And what's your department exactly?" Sandy would tease. Kirsten would simply stick out her tongue at him.

"I'm not hungry," Sandy told her as he ran a hand over his face. He was silent for a minute before turning slightly so that he could wrap and arm around her waist. She slipped down onto his lap and held his hand.

"Do you think I should call him?" He asked.

"It's up to you," Kirsten shrugged. "You don't have to call him if you don't want to. You don't owe him anything. But if you want to call him, then you should call him. If you have things that you want to ask or say to him, then by all means, pick up the phone and dial that number."

"I think I should," Sandy said quietly after a moment.

"Okay," Kirsten gave him a kiss on his forehead. "Do you want me to stay or go?" He loved her for that. He loved that she gave him options, and that she didn't push him. She was letting him know that she was there for him if he needed her, but he didn't have to worry about her feelings being hurt if he needed to do this alone. The only thing was that he couldn't decide if he wanted her in the room or not. After another minute, she decided for him. "How about this? I'll be in the kitchen eating, and if you need me, I'm right there." Sandy nodded, immensely grateful. Kirsten slipped off of his lap and he watched her walk into the kitchen and lean down and place a kiss on the top of Seth's head.

With shaking fingers he dialed the number Kirsten had written on what actually was the instruction manual to the fancy swing that her parents had just sent Seth. A man picked up on the third ring and Sandy immediately placed the voice.

"Hello?"

"David?"

"Yes? Who is this?"

"This is Sandy." There was a shocked silence on the other end.

"You actually called me back," the voice was filled with disbelief. Don't make me sorry for doing so, Sandy thought to himself.

"Yes, I did. What did you want? Why did you call?"

"I want to see you...that is if you want to see me. I'm in San Francisco, and your aunt in her letter said that you went to Berkeley." His aunt. He hadn't seen his aunt in ages, but he knew that she still talked to his father, her only brother. Of course she did. And she still talked to Sophie. He wondered if his mother knew that his aunt was in contact with his father. "And she said that you got married, congratulations. Is that who I talked to?" Sandy turned and looked into the kitchen where Kirsten was feeding Seth. She looked up and met his eye and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Yes. That was my wife Kirsten. Listen, how about lunch tomorrow? I'll come into San Francisco."

"Great! That would be great! You can bring your wife along too! I'd love to meet her," David sounded genuinely excited. But Sandy couldn't trust that. He couldn't trust him. They picked a spot and Sandy hung up. Kirsten looked up again from where she was finishing feeding Seth and glanced at him with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

"We're going to lunch tomorrow," Sandy said finally.

"Oh." Kirsten didn't know how she was supposed to react to that. Was it a good thing? Or not? "Would you like us to come?"

"Not yet," Sandy said shaking his head. "I'd like to see him alone first."

"Okay," Kirsten nodded and gave him a confident smile. "I love you." Sandy sounded like he needed to be told that. He looked like he needed a hug too, but her hands were currently full. So she settled on another smile.

"I love you too." He leaned down and gave her a kiss, but let his lips linger there for a minute. He pulled away reluctantly and then ran a hand over Seth's dark wisps of hair.

Sandy waited for his father to show up as he downed his second glass of wine. He half expected him not to show up. But the door opened and David Cohen walked into the restaurant. Sandy stood up and David made his way over to his son. They both stood there silently, not knowing what to say. Finally, Sandy cleared his throat and motioned for the two to sit down.

"I'm sorry to make you wait," his father apologized seeing the two empty glasses on the table.

"It's okay, I was early," Sandy shrugged.

"So tell me about your wife," David said. He knew that his choice of conversation was a good one when Sandy's eyes lit up.

"Her name is Kirsten, and she's...she's incredible. She's beautiful, and smart, and funny, and I still have no idea why she married me," Sandy told him truthfully. "We have a son. Did Aunt Elaine tell you that?" David seemed surprised, and shook his head.

"No, she didn't. How old is he?"

"Four months," Sandy couldn't help but smile at the thought of his son. "His name is Seth. Here, I have a picture." Sandy pulled out his wallet and showed his father the picture that he carried around. His favorite picture. Kirsten holding Seth in her arms and grinning at the camera.

"He's beautiful," David breathed. "And so is your wife."

"Thank you," Sandy accepted the picture back and then broached the subject that he had come to talk about. "Why are you here? Why did you call and find me?"

"I wanted to see you. When Elaine said that you went to Berkeley, I thought that fifteen years was long enough." Sandy sought to find his voice to ask the next question. The question that had been plaguing him for fifteen years.

"Why did you leave?" David took a deep breath.

"I don't know, Sandy. I just...I couldn't do the whole father/husband thing anymore." Sandy nodded. For years he had convinced himself that he was the reason that his father left. In several phases of creativity as a child, he had imagined that his father was forced to leave. Maybe Witness Protection Program? Or he was dying and wanted to spare his family the prolonged pain of an illness? Or could he be involved in the mafia and left his family to protect them? But no, all this time, it had only been because his father couldn't do the husband thing.

"Oh. Are you sorry?"

"I have some regrets, Sandy, I regret not seeing you and your sister and brother grow up. I should have kept in contact with you. But I'm not sorry I left. I would have pulled us all down with me. I would have been unhappy, and that would have affected you three. I didn't love your mother anymore. There was nothing keeping me there." There was nothing to say to that. What to say to a father who abandoned you? Who really didn't regret it? Who had said that you were not enough to keep him there?

"I have to go," Sandy said. Why had he expected this meeting to go well? He shouldn't have gone. He should have pretended that he had no idea who David was and should not have called him back.

"Sandy, please," David said.

"I have to go. Seth and Kirsten are waiting for me at home. Unlike you, I love doing the father/husband thing. I cannot imagine leaving them for a day, never mind forever. I will never leave my wife, and I will never abandon my son. I'm nothing like you. Get all the details of my life off of Aunt Elaine. But please don't call me again." With that, Sandy slammed down the money for his drinks and left the restaurant.

He had to get home.

He had to kiss his wife, and hold his son in his arms.

He had to remind himself that he was nothing like his father.

Kirsten was waiting for him when he walked in the door. She wrapped his arms around him and kissed him squarely on the mouth.

"How'd lunch go?"

"How'd you know that I needed a hug?" She shrugged.

"I know you pretty well," she said, a smile tugging at her mouth.

"I know," he gave her another kiss. "I love you. How'd I end up snagging you?" She considered the question for a minute.

"Just lucky I guess."

Please review and tell me what you think! If you think that I should keep going with their family in Berkeley, or if you think that I should start a new story with their family in Berkeley and just leave it here, or what! So leave me a review! Thanks!


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